The program model that we developed together after a year spent getting to know each other and working together as a community consists primarily of each member taking ownership of the space and having an equal voice in the decision making process. Through that process we identified the four areas that guide our collaborative work:
- promoting self-respect
- learning art skills
- building community
- developing independence
At the 30-day mark, each new artist meets with the program director to talk about his or her wants, needs, hopes, and dreams. They work together to turn these aspirations into goals in each of the four areas, and thus develop an artist’s plan.
We have seen tremendous growth in our artists as they achieve their goals and move on to challenge themselves even more.